The East Asia summit will be attended by the leaders of the 10 Asean nations and those of India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, the US and Russia.

CONNECTIVITY

On the eve of his visit to Laos, Modi said India wishes to enhance physical and digital connectivity with South East Asian nations and leverage the modern interconnected world for mutual benefit.

"We wish to enhance our physical and digital connectivity; to see greater people to people links; to strengthen our institutional linkages; and to leverage the modern interconnected world for the mutual benefit of all our people," the Prime Minister said.

"ASEAN is a key partner for our 'Act East' policy, which is vital for the economic development of our Northeastern region. Our strategic partnership with ASEAN is also important for safeguarding and promoting our security interests and countering traditional and non-traditional security challenges in the region," he wrote in a Facebook post.

He added that East Asia Summit is the premier forum for discussions on the challenges and opportunities before the Asia Pacific region.

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